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Credit: DisneyThe premiere of the live-action version of The Little Mermaid (2023) is less than a month away, and fans are ecstatic. To promote the film even more, Disney has released posters for each lead character. However, some of these posters are leaving people disappointed.
Directed by Rob Marshall with songs written by Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Little Mermaid retells the story of the original 1989 animated classic and stars Halle Bailey as the Disney princess Ariel, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Awkwafina as Scuttle, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian.
As the premiere date ebbs closer and closer, Disney continues to promote the film, this time with a variety of character posters. And Little Mermaid fans have been surprisingly positive with the results… for the most part.
‘The Little Mermaid’ Posters Are Breathtaking
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As soon as people were able to get first looks at these posters, there was one consensus: the live-action cast looks good.
Naturally, attention was directed toward Halle Bailey as Ariel. Overall, fans loved the look. Even the ones who wished that her hair was more red, like in the cartoon, admitted that the character looks beautiful. Couple this with the single “Part of Your World” that dropped today, and it’s a good day to be Halle Bailey.
While Ariel received a lot of love, fans were brimming with excitement when it came to Melissa McCarthy’s Ursula. This version of the sea witch had incredible details, including terrifying renditions of Flotsam and Jetsam and the glowing sea shell that steals Ariel’s voice.
Related: Halle Bailey Bravely Speaks Out, Unbothered by Racist Backlash to ‘The Little Mermaid’
While the men didn’t get as much attention as Ariel and Ursula, fans still appreciated these looks, specifically regarding Triton’s more nautical theming and how much Jonah Hauer-King looks like the cartoon version of Prince Eric.
So far, the commenters had been surprisingly kind to the oddly controversial film, but that all changed when it came to the animal characters.
Fans Don’t Like the Animals
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While the response to the more human posters has been largely positive, the same isn’t true for the animal equivalents. Fans were quick to jump on how these “live-action” oceanic critters don’t have the same charm as their cartoon equivalents.
One fan stated, “I just want to know who approved the animal looks. My poor Sebastian…” Another simply requested, “I hope they never make a live-action Finding Nemo (2003).”
However, no one got a worse reaction than Flounder, with commenters crying, “Oh my lord, what on earth happened to Flounder?” and “I’m sad Flounder looks just like a basic goldfish.” One person flat-out said, “RIP Flounder.” It’s a tough day to be a fish.
What do you think of these new posters? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!